Some 45 aircraft operated by the US Air Force Academy have been grounded for safety issues. An Academy maintenance contractor was found to have some discrepancies in their record-keeping of USAFA aircraft, described as "contractor maintenance irregularities" during a January 9th investigation, causing the Air Force to issue a grounding order until the matter can be properly investigated. Academy staffers indicate that the order will remain in place until an investigation is conducted and completed, "Academy officials will keep affected aircraft on the ground until confidence is restored in the safety of the maintenance program and permanent fixes are in place for all discrepancies identified." The contractor, Doss Aviation, of Colorado Springs has ordered an internal audit o

An Apache helicopter went down near Fallujah, Iraq, Tuesday according to US Central Command officials. There were no injuries and the incident is under investigation. The downing is the third in two weeks, though in this case, the aircrew emerged unscathed. The area around the AH-64 was secured quickly and an inspection of the aircraft conducted. A military spokesman, Col. William Darley said, "It was apparently downed by enemy fire." The AH-64 Apache gunship was hit near the town of Habbaniyah, close to the western region near where a medevac helicopter was downed a week ago with the loss of all none aboard. A Kiowa was shot down Jan. 2nd, killing the pilot.

Strike fighter aircraft from Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 1, flying from the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN 65) in the North Arabian Gulf, attacked an enemy mortar position near Balad, Iraq, north of Baghdad, Jan. 9, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Two Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 86 F/A-18 Hornets from Enterprise’s embarked carrier air wing each dropped a 1,000-pound Joint Direct Attack Munition in the attack, striking the enemy position. This strike was the carrier’s first use of precision-guided munitions since the beginning of the new year. Enterprise strike fighters last struck a target in Iraq Nov. 28.

A group of Air National Guard F-16 fighters, recently re-engined with new Pratt & Whitney (P&W) F100- PW-229 engines, has achieved a year of flying in which the engines have performed flawlessly -- a condition known as "Code One" (and better known to pilots as "Thank God"). The aircraft are of the "Block 42" F-16 configuration. Block 42 aircraft were originally built starting in 1988 and powered by P&W F100-PW-220 engines. The -229 retrofit program was initiated by the Air National Guard in 2000 to provide a more powerful engine and bring the Block 42 F-16s up to current combat capability. Thus far, 15 out of 51 aircraft have been re-engined. "Demands on the Air National Guard are increasing, and the need for increased thrust and more reliable aircraft has never